Socerb Castle, the stone lookout above the gulfs of Trieste and Koper

A lookout over the Gulf of Trieste

Visit Koper places it on a cliff more than 350 m high, by the village of Socerb and a few kilometres from the border between Slovenia and Italy. That position explains its whole history, because for centuries it was a lookout over the sea. From the edge you see the Gulf of Trieste and the Gulf of Koper, and the Slovenian Tourist Board says the view takes in the coastal towns as far as Piran.

From the 9th century to today’s restaurant

The castle, also known as Strmec, goes back to the 9th century and was remodelled and extended many times. In the 14th century it belonged to the Venetian Ducaini family, and in the 16th it was caught up in the conflict between Austria and Venice over the Zaule salt pans. In 1780 a fire started by lightning badly damaged it and it fell into disrepair. It was restored in the 20th century and is now an excursion spot with a restaurant, open every day.

Sveta jama, a church underground

A few steps from the castle, in a small grove, opens Sveta jama, the holy cave. It is 231 m long and 44 m deep, a stream runs through it to feed the springs at Dolina, and it holds Slovenia’s only underground church, set in a natural cavity, with stalactites and a basin carved into the rock.

Legend ties it to St Servulus, a young man from Trieste who converted to Christianity and hid here from the city’s governor. According to tradition he lived in the cave for a year and nine months, drinking from the stream, and became known for healing the sick, until in 283 he was imprisoned and put to death. For centuries the cave was a pilgrimage shrine, and today it can be visited on Sundays at 2pm.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Koper before prices climb.

Fitting it into your day

Socerb belongs to the municipality of Koper, and the practical way up is by car from there. I would combine it with the church at Hrastovlje and with Črni Kal, the village with the leaning bell tower of St Valentine’s church, which Visit Koper suggests on the same inland route. With the morning at the Škocjan Inlet reserve and the afternoon here, you have a full day without setting foot on a beach.

If castles across the country interest you, I have ranked them in castles in Slovenia, and if views are what you are after, Socerb also appears among the viewpoints. From the top you look over the Gulf of Trieste, and if you want to cross the border, I explain how to link Slovenia, Italy and Austria.

Once your dates are set, check which hotels are still free in Koper before prices climb.